Excerpt
taken from THE UFO CRASH/RETRIEVAL SYNDROME
Status Report II: New Sources, New Data
By Leonard H. Stringfield

Item
B-7

On
June 25, 1978, James Minton, his wife and I, breakfasted
together in a motel in Carlyle, Illinois, on the day
Betty Hill, Charles Hickson,and I each addressed the
UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, hosted by Mrs.
Rosetta Holmes, at the Fish Hatchery grounds. Jim and
I, over several coffees, discussed our respective interests
in the UFO and have since that day "kept in touch"
as I continued to develop new material about the UFO
crash/retrieval syndrome. In September of 1979, Jim
called to relate that he had talked with a former Air
Force friend, William Draeger of Austin, Texas, who
had uncovered some information about a 1950 crash incident
occurring in Mexico.

I
knew the incident well, and that it had been disputed
by some researchers. However, I had not pursued the
case beyond having referred to the alleged crash in
my previous paper. At that time, I had used information
related by Todd Zechel to the Midnight Globe. Since,
further research into the case by Zechel and others
has revealed that not only the year of the incident
was wrong, having changed from 1948 to 1950, but also
the crash site has changed.

Whatever
the status of the case, I was eager to learn anything
new, so Minton made arrangements for me to call Draeger
the same day. One call led to another as Draeger had
hoped to gather information from still another backup
source. Like his friend Minton, he was willing and able
to probe - and is resourceful. And being also honest,
Draeger said he was unable to get his other source to
talk, but agreed to submit a statement for this paper
relative to his investigation in Mexico (names withheld).
His letter, dated October 11, 1979, follows:

"Todd
Zechel called me in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, August
13, 1979. He was acting as consultant to a Japanese
television crew from Nippon Television Network taping
a UFO documentary. They were in Del Rio, Texas, researching
the alleged UFO crash which occurred in 1950 (and has
at times been erroneously reported as having occurred
near Laredo, Texas). On Monday August 14, I was employed
as interpreter for the Japanese crew due to the fact
that I was raised in Del Rio and speak Spanish fluently.
The retired Colonel who witnessed the UFO in the air
and later on the ground was also in Del Rio with Todd
and reported that the soldiers surrounding the crashed
craft were Mexican troops. I contacted the Mexican Army
General who had command of that specific area of the
border and initially talked with him by telephone. I
identified myself and my position and related that in
1950, a UFO was reported to have crashed 30 miles northwest
of Del Rio, that we had along a pilot who had seen it
in the air and later on the ground being guarded by
Mexican troops until American Air Force units arrived
to retrieve the craft and a body that was found aboard.
Without pause, the General answered in Spanish, "Yes,
I know about that. I don't have any papers or documents
to prove it, but due to my position, I know about that."

When
I asked if he would consent to an interview, he paused
and said he would be busy for 30 minutes but afterwards
would be free for an interview at his home. When the
7-man crew, the retired colonel, and myself arrived
and we talked with him, he totally denied any knowledge
of the incident and on camera, he denied and evaded
any questions dealing with the incident and UFOs. The
General is a military celebrity and began his career
as a young Lieutenant serving under Pancho Villa during
the Mexican Revolution. He was acquainted with several
movie stars, like John Wayne, and became friends with
General George Patton when he was stationed at Fort
Clark, 35 miles from the border. They played polo together.
I believe the General is beyond reproach and that he
"slipped" on the telephone but maintained
strict security for the interview.

I,
William H. Draeger, do hereby swear to God that the above
statement is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth."
(signed) William H. Draeger